


rust and mahogany

by sanvitheartificer



Series: forgiveness, in seven parts [1]
Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Autistic Magnus Burnsides, Barry Lup Taako Killian and Avi are only in this briefly, Character Study?, Forgiveness, Friendship, Gen, Healing, Male-Female Friendship, Post-Canon, Suicidal Ideation, i guess?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-29
Updated: 2018-12-23
Packaged: 2019-09-02 06:57:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16781920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sanvitheartificer/pseuds/sanvitheartificer
Summary: Magnus Burnsides wants to protect his family, wants to forgive Lucretia, and doesn't know how to do either of those things.He'll get there.





	1. lives won, deaths forgotten

**Author's Note:**

> I'm trying out something a little weird to tell this story. I will be posting updates chronologically, but updating multiple stories as we go on. This is a story about each of the birds letting Lucretia back into their life, and that happens in different ways for different characters.  
> If you read this once it's finished, I've organized it so that each character's story can be read all at once, and then the next character's story can be read.  
> If you start reading at the beginning, I'd recommend following the series and getting chronological updates of the family as a whole rebuilding and moving towards forgiveness.  
> If you come in somewhere in the middle, I'll post a guide to reading the story chronologically in the series description, or you can just go for it – either way, you'll probably be fine. 
> 
> There are a few brief allusions to suicidal ideation in this chapter. If you'd like, feel free to message me for more details about that. 
> 
> Also, I am not autistic myself, and I hc Magnus as autistic. Please tell me if I fuck something up, and I will change it.

The first three days after everything with the Hunger goes down are kind of a shitshow. 

There's laughing, and crying, and people keep recognizing Magnus on the street? It's, y'know, it's kind of uncomfortable. Being a folk hero in Ravensroost was a little like this, but Julia was pretty good at making people shut up and leave him alone, and also, the whole plane didn't know his entire life story, back then. It's overwhelming and he doesn't like it. Almost has a meltdown twice.

They won, and that's. A good thing. It is! It's good! But it's just, every time he looks at one of his friends, family, they look back with shuttered eyes and he remembers something he was literally incapable of remembering previously and it's all just, it's a lot. And Lucretia is gone, somewhere. She hasn't been seen at any of the impromptu funerals/parties for lives won and deaths forgotten. He thinks Killian and Carey probably know where she is, but... even though something in him _jumps_ at the opportunity to finally see one of his family members again, _really_ see her, he doesn't ask. 

He keeps remembering things. When he lived with the Waxmans, they had an extra bedroom furnished already, way more trinkets than either Julia or Steven were inclined to, two lavender bedsheets. But when he asked Julia about it her expression went distant and she never answered. 

Everything will be good, will be fine, and then suddenly he's fucking tripping over siblings-in-law lost before he could meet them to a war he started. Remembering sucks. Remembering that he forgot sucks more.

It is Day Three Post-Hunger now, and they are in Neverwinter eating lunch at what is supposed to be a relatively anonymous, out of the way restaurant. After the third request for an autograph, Magnus is contemplating whether to go build a cabin in the woods, or like, make Taako cast Invisibility on him, when his stone of farspeech buzzes. 

“Magnus? This is Avi, just wondering, when were you planning on getting your bracer removed? We've got the machine calibrated and it takes a fuckton of energy to run, so the Director's recommending that everyone who wants to quit gets theirs off in the next week if possible, but I'm not sure she contacted you guys.” 

“Oh. Uh, no, she didn't. Uh. Thanks for the heads up.” Magnus says, eyes shifting to Merle and Taako, who are regaling the patrons with stories that didn't make it into the Day of Story and Song, Taako next to Lup, Lup next to Barry. “We'll... schedule something soon.” Then he thinks better of that. “Actually, could we come up right now?” 

“Magnus!” Taako hisses, ears back, looking fake-mad and also real-scared. 

“Taako we gotta do it sometime! Lup, tell him we gotta do it sometime!” 

Lup turns to Taako with a look on her face that he thinks means, _I'm teasing but if you want I will shut this thing down in .025 seconds_ , although it's less clear than usual because of the whole lich thing. One time, a long time ago, Lucretia made him charts of people's expressions. He got really good at reading his family. ( _That's why_ , he thinks, _it was so much easier with them_ – )

“C'mon, dingus, you gotta do it sometime. Prolly even a lil easier tipsy, yeah? I'll go with you.” 

“Okay. Fine. Fine! But if L – if the _Madame Director_ so much as looks at me cha'boy is _gonezo_ and she can find some way to bring her fancy machine to the ground, homie.” Taako says, leaning over into Magnus's space to talk, very loudly, at the stone. 

“I'll let her know. If you can get to the Neverwinter Park, I'll send a bubble down ASAP.” Avi says. 

“Make sure it seats five,” Barry says. And that's that.

\---

The machine is a huge metal sphere, run by some gnomish woman Magnus has seen in the cafeteria some days, but doesn't recognize past that. 

“You stick your arm in this hole,” she gestures, “and we run the machine, and it's gone. Pretty simple. Who's up first?” 

“Sign me the fuck out,” Taako says. He's shaking. Magnus wants to hug him but Taako wouldn't accept a hug, not like this, not now. Lup is right by his side, almost overlapping, and Barry is right next to her. Magnus wonders what would happen if they had to climb a really narrow staircase. Would Taako go first, or Barry? Or would Lup, even though she's in the middle?

“Huh, tingly.” Taako says, a minute later. He withdraws his arm from the machine.

“I'll go next,” Magnus volunteers. It's buzzy, and kinda weird, and then it's done. The skin underneath where the bracer used to be is a lot paler, a little softer, hidden from the sun for more than a year. 

Then Merle goes, and they're all officially bracer-free. 

“Okay, time to go. Let's blow this joint.” Taako says, and they're almost back to the dome where Avi works when the Direc – Lucy – Lucretia rounds the corner.

Everyone freezes. 

Lucretia recovers first. “Taako, I'm – I'll, I'll just leave,” 

“No, fuck this and fuck you,” Taako spits. “I'm out.” Taako teleports away. 

Lup's face is complicated. She shakes her head, and then mutters, “C'mon, babe. We better go talk him down.” And Barry and Lup disappear, too. 

Merle stares after them, with a wise and fatherly or possibly just slightly stoned look, and then says, “Y'know, I still got shit up here. Guess Maggie and I'll go clear out the ol' moon bedrooms.” 

“You can stay,” she says, sounding more unsure than he's ~~ever heard her~~ heard in years. “If you need a place.” 

Magnus's eyes squint up at the suggestion, and just, _everything_ , but before he can say anything, Merle says, “I think I'm gonna set up on the seaside with Mavis and Mookie. Wouldn't feel right, not being there for 'em, and eh, not sure a moon base is the best place for a coupla crazy kids, y'know?”

“Kind of a lot to handle, being here,” he mumbles. Magnus doesn't think Lucretia was supposed to hear, but she flinches. 

Magnus says, “I think Taako and Lup and Barry already have, like... a house? Cap'n Port's been looking into boat models and settling down sounds. Good. Yeah.” 

(He surprises himself with how true that is. It's been a really long time since he hasn't wanted to just keep going until he – stops. Dies. Gets killed in battle.) 

There's not enough space here to think about that, so he doesn't. Magnus walks past Lucretia, and she's standing way too still and not saying anything, and he doesn't hug her. And then he's looking at a room with a lot of shit that means nothing, and a lot more shit that means way too much, and there's so much stuff and somehow he's got to pack it all and he can't stop thinking and remembering and he stops at the door, and just, stops.

“Man! Feels like all this shit is from a hundred years ago, huh Maggie?” Merle says, and chuckles. He thumps Magnus on the lower back, in a way that is probably supposed to be encouraging. Magnus doesn't dodge it, because it's Merle. Anyway, after that he's no longer frozen, so maybe it was encouraging after all. That's, like, the Merle brand: fucking up, but in a way that ends up working out anyway. Maybe that's all of them.

“Yeah.” 

“What's it even been, three days?” 

Magnus shrugs, even though Merle is retreating towards his own bedroom. Merle keeps talking, undeterred. 

“Y'know, Mags, there's a whole-ass Goddess of Time. Several, even! I looked it up one time, back in that world with all the temples, you know the one, and there musta been like, seventeen on record? Pan, can you imagine worshipping somethin' like _Time_? I mean, fate's one thing, and Pan n' life? Makes sense, you know? Who doesn't like life? But time, eh, I mean who needs it? Got enough of that!” 

Merle's voice ebbs and flows as he walks back and forth, and occasionally lapses into swears when he runs into something, but he keeps on talking, filling the awful silence of walking past Lucretia and packing up this fucking room, which was maybe the nicest room Magnus'd ever had up until he remembered the Starblaster and everything else. It's nice. Magnus can almost pretend they're just getting ready to flee, to fall apart back into new/old bodies, to go to a new world. 

It's familiar, leaving places behind. But not like this. They're never gonna go to a new world again, and it's good, it's supposed to be good and it is. But it's – 

That's when he finds the drawing.

It's one of Lucretia's. By the end, the Starblaster was covered in pictures – sketches of them, of random plants she found, of landscapes, of friends lost to the Hunger or just lost to time. Scribbles in the margins, labeling parts, meaning it was a copy of her Records, or just gifts, careful and intricate and beautiful.

It's a magpie. He's had it for ~~as long as he can remember~~ since he forgot. Julia asked him about it, once, and Magnus said, “I dunno. I guess I musta bought it at a market sometime? It's beautiful, isn't it?” They put it in the living room. He made a frame. He found it when he left, mostly undamaged, the frame burnt but the drawing somehow intact. 

He recognizes the runes drawn carefully into the feathers, now. Protection from fire, water, heartbreak, death. A poem, half spell, half plea. 

Merle's jabbering on about some school play Mookie is in, somehow, despite the near-apocalypse three days ago. Magnus carefully puts the drawing away, and listens. 

\---

“Guess we better get Taako's stuff, too, huh,” Magnus says, when he's finally collapsed on the living room couch. It's the first words he's said in a coupla hours. 

Merle says, “Just like 'im to pawn the work off on us, huh?” 

Magnus groans. Even with the fantasy artificial lighting, the shadows are getting pretty long. Plus, Taako's room is basically three different wardrobes shoved together and strewn in incomprehensible piles that make walking hazardous, and he doesn't like anyone else touching his shit. 

“Let's get to it, I guess,” he says. He tries valiantly to ignore how much red there isn't, the rusty kitchen implements stacked in the corner of the closet, the battered book called _The Seven Habits of Highly Effective ~~Humans~~ Elves_ filled with Taako's handwriting, and only Taako's handwriting, and also all the gross plates with crusty shit on them. Everything there screams absence, or doesn't. Absence-of-absence. It's not even his shit, and he _hates_ it. 

He maybe zones out for a lot of that process as Merle continues to talk (you'd think his voice must get tired at some point. The only time Magnus brought that up, Merle insisted “Eh, dwarven vocal cords are made for gossip. Just look at my Aunt Blarg!” And then he talked for a solid eight hours, to prove a point, or possibly because one of the twins dared him. Davenport had to threaten to throw him overboard to make him finally shut up.) 

And then they're somehow back at the hangar, Magnus toting several boxes and a few suitcases. Avi says, “Alright, uh, we'll probably be able to do this in one trip; where do you wanna go?” 

“I'd like to see my kids,” Merle says. “Bottlenose Cove.”

“Sure.” Avi says. “Magnus?”

Home, Magnus thinks, and has no godsdamn clue what that's supposed to mean. 

He must stand there long enough that it's awkward, because Avi says, “Uh, I think Killian and Carey have a temporary place with a reasonable backyard? You could farspeech them, see what they think.” 

Magnus latches onto this idea immediately and tunes his stone. “Carey!”

“ _Istus_ , Magnus, no need to yell! That is not how Stones of Farspeech work, you absolute slug!” 

“Listen, can I stay with you and Killian tonight? I don't gotta place yet and Merle and I just packed up our moon bedrooms and I'm like, really tired. Like really really tired.”

“Yeah, of course, buddy.” 

“Just one night!” Killian yells in the background. 

“Cool!” Magnus hangs up. “Okay, Merle. You go first.” 

\---

Carey takes one look at him once he stumbles out of the pod and says, “C'mon. Killian will drop your luggage inside for tonight. We're gonna go to a shitty bar and get reaaaaaaaaal hammered and talk about our feelings, and then we're gonna go to an even shittier gym and punch things. Sound good?” 

Carey is absolutely his _favorite_ person in the _whole godsdamned universe_. Magnus nods, glances over to Killian. She shakes her head, but she's smiling. “Go on. I'll take care of your shit, like usual.” 

He says, “Thanks, Killian.” Carey kisses Killian goodbye, and then tugs him to a bar in the shitty part of town.

Luckily there's not many people at this hour, and everyone who is there has the common decency to not, like, talk to him, or look at him, or notice his existence, and pretty soon they're knocking back shots, not talking much, and then Magnus is buzzed enough that he just lets it come out. 

“I used to do this with her – with Lucretia, I mean. We'd like, sneak out? On planets where the age limits were kinda, y'know, where humans weren't allowed to drink alcohol until they hit a certain age. We'd hit up some shitty bar, maybe cast disguise self or something, maybe find some other way in, and just, get absolutely _smashed_.”

“Wow, okay, with everything I've learned about the Director recently this should not surprise me and yet it still somehow does?” Carey says. 

“Yeah, Lu could hold her own! Drank me under the table a few times, actually. I was real surprised the first time, lemme tell you. Gods, I'm so... Carey, can I be real with you for just a second?” Magnus says. 

Carey says, “Yeah, course, bud.”

“I miss her so godsdamn much. I don't want to be angry at her! Because I get it and she's so lonely and, fuck, she... she's been missing us for so long, she... she shouldn't be alone. She's, she's done so much but _she shouldn't be alone_ , not like this, but I went back there and,” 

“I'm really angry at her,” Magnus admits, voice a lot quieter than it normally gets. 

“I hate that she...” 

“I don't. Hate. Easily. Like, I hate the Hunger because it fucking killed my family. A lot. And that's. I hate it but like we won? It can't hurt them ever again. It's gone. And... I don't know.” He says. “I... I don't know.” 

Carey sits with that for a minute. They both take another shot. Finally, she says, “Sounds like, you maybe kind of hate her, but also you don't want her to be sad. Like, she hurt your family, but she also _is_ your family.” 

“Woah woah woah! I don't hate Lucretia!” Magnus bellows. The other two customers and the barkeep stare at him. He blushes, and says, much quieter, “Sorry.”

Carey raises an eyebrow at him. 

“I don't,” he says, hushed. “I hate – the Hunger, and – uh – people who hurt dogs? Yeah, I deffo hate those fuckers. And bullies, and,” he trails off, and the absence rings. Carey doesn't mention it.

“I'm just. Really mad at her. How do I, fuck. How do I even... do that?” 

“What, be angry at someone you love? Uh, well, I'm assuming fighting in your private dojo and then having hatesex is off the table?” 

“Uh,” 

“Yeah okay let's forget I said that forever now alright uh, advice! I can do that, probably! Haaaave you tried... talking to her?” 

“I can't do that,” Magnus says. 

“Okay then, pretend I'm the – Lucretia. Pretend I'm Lucretia!” Carey cups her hands at the side of her face. “Look, I have the ears and everything!” 

Magnus giggles. “Why, how lizard-y you're looking today, Madame Director Lucretia,” he says. “Your complexion looks _great_.” 

“Why thank you!” 

“And that fashion sense? Mwah,” Magnus kisses his fingers and then releases them. 

Carey giggles. 

“Even a tail! Is it Masquerade season early? Why, your employee Killian will certainly be swooning at the very sight of you.” 

“Okay, listen. Magnus. Magnus? Listen. This isn't working. Let's go to the gym.” 

“I'm suddenly unsure about this considering what I've recently learned about you and – ”

“No, nope nope nope, that _definitely did not happen_ , we're going now, bye!” 

\---

Magnus thinks that gyms usually require, like, memberships or whatever, but maybe because he's Magnus Burnsides Alien Hero Of The Universe or maybe because Carey's just that good even when giggly-drunk, no one charges them. Also, it is very late and there's only one zoned out gnomish teenager manning the desk, so maybe that has something to do with it too.

“Okay so,” she says, wobbling over to the punching bag, “Pretend that's Lucretia? Or pretend I'm Lucretia. Just, like, be angry.” 

Magnus stares at the punching bag for a few moments, and then sits down on the ground, abruptly. There's kind of a crash. Magnus winces and moves the free weights out of the way, and then lays down and stares at the cracked ceiling for a solid three minutes. 

He still doesn't really want to say them, but the words come bubbling up. “I hate that you did that. It... hurt my family. A lot. And... you're. Part of that, y'know? I hate that you hurt _you_.” 

Carey suddenly looms in his field of vision, upside down. “Magnus, I don't mean to like, derail you, but I just wanna make sure: you get that it hurt you, too, right?”

“That's not important.” 

“What, Magnus, nooo. You can't do this to me. I'm _drunk_ ,” Carey complains. “No, you can't be down on yourself, you're like, one of my favorite people in the world! So you gotta be important!” 

“That's...” Magnus gives up. “Sure. Okay. You hurt me too? I guess? But more importantly like, everyone else, and I was supposed to protect them, and I _didn't_ , and now I can't! Because you're hurting and Taako's hurting and Barry's hurting, and fuck, _Davenport_ , I don't even – and Lup and Merle probably and – ”

His voice hitches. He sits up, hugs his knees. “I don't know how to protect us from this.” 

Carey hugs him, hard, and they sit on a shitty gym floor in the sketchy part of the city and Magnus cries. 

It seems like forever before Carey says, “Let's get you home.” 

He doesn't remember the rest of the night.


	2. something new, something good

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus has a good day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for being patient with me! This chapter has been mostly written for ages but I was Struggling with some of the details and how I wanted this story to go generally. There's one more chapter in Magnus's arc, which I thought I'd get to this chapter, but this part just kept expanding. Hopefully the next part should be up sooner!

Magnus wakes up hungover, tired, but there's a solid feeling in his chest, a feeling rooting him in this place. Here he is, now he is, and all the other shit, who cares?

He takes a minute to just feel that. When he gets up off Killian and Carey's tiny sofa, stretching out the kinks, Killian's making pancakes, and he remembers Lup's pancakes (Taako always made crepes), and it's... sad, and happy, all mixed up. Probably, maybe, Lup will make pancakes again someday.

“Killian, those smell great!” he says.

“Only thing I can make, so you better enjoy them,” Killian says, a little menacing. “And no snatching from the skillet!”

Magnus looks over at the breakfast table, and realizes that Carey (with a mouthful of obviously-snatched pancake) isn't alone.

“Angus!” Magnus says. “I didn't realize you were here, too!”

“Yeah, we're taking care of Angus now,” Killian said, ruffling his hair affectionately. He's not wearing a hat, which is kinda weird. “After everything, not too many mysteries on the moon, huh, _g'ql_?”

“Yes, ma'am,” says Angus, blushing. “And I want to go to school, once it starts up again. I heard that Lucas was planning a magic university which sounds really cool!”

“That's cool, Angus! I bet you'll do great,” Magnus says. He leans against the counter, and Carey winks at him. She steals another pancake, hands it to Angus, and then mimes, _try it!_ in thieve's cant to Magnus.

He goes for it, and Killian musta gotten like, a twenty on her perception roll, because she intercepts his hand mid-grab while simultaneously flipping a pancake. “Ah ah ah. None of that level two bullshit in _my_ kitchen,” she says.

“Fiiine,” Magnus grumbles. _Get me one?_ He signs hopefully at Carey.

_Hmmmm_ , she signs. _No_.

“I _am_ fluent in thieve's cant, y'know,” Killian says, faux-casual, “Also, Magnus, you are not actually five, you can wait two minutes for a pancake. At least _try_ and be as mature at the actual ten-year-old. Carey, same goes, but at least you're not, like, pushing 150. Also you're my girlfriend and I love you so you can snatch a pancake if you want. Angus, do whatever, you're ten.”

“Thanks, ma'am!” Angus says brightly, through a mouthful of pancake.

“Awww, babe!” Carey is blushing, and Killian rolls her eyes and hands Magnus a plate, but she's blushing too, and all of a sudden Magnus wants to hold onto this moment more than anything. This isn't like mornings on the Starblaster. It's something new, something different. Something good.

\---

After breakfast, Magnus rummages through his luggage, looking for Railsplitter and his clothing for non-life-threatening adventures. He hasn't had one in a while, so it's pretty buried.

“What are you doing, sir?” Angus pipes up, watching curiously from behind a brightly-colored book.

“I'm going to the park! Do you wanna come?”

Angus glances at Carey, who's doing the dishes.

“Get out, see the world, Angus! Don't just stay in here reading all day,” Carey says.

“Alright. But no taking my book, okay, sir?” Angus says, scowling a little. It's really adorable.

Magnus doesn't snatch the book, through an effort of will.

Killian says, casually, “Magnus, if you hurt him, I _will_ hunt you down and skewer you, world-saving or not, so keep that in mind, hmm?”

“Th-that's not necessary, ma'am! I can take care of myself!” But Angus looks pleased, and Magnus feels like his heart is overflowing.

It's not a long walk, and they see and pet four whole dogs on the way, all of whom are Very Good. It's still weird, being recognized, but it's early, and it's pretty quiet, and there's _dogs,_ which makes everything better.

“What are we gonna do in the park?”

“Wellll, I need to make the Di – Lucretia a gift, because she made me this drawing a long time ago and I guess I never got a chance to give her anything back? So I'm gonna go cut down a tree and make a carving.”

“S-sir, it's a public park, you can't cut down trees!” Angus objects, looking horrified.

Magnus considers. “Well, yeah, but the forest is a really long walk away, and I'm not sure you can handle that, Ango. Plus, we're both heroes. What are they gonna do, arrest us?”

“Why don't we just find a wood shop, or something? That has to be a thing!”

“That's not special, though. Also I have an ax that's specifically good at cutting down trees and I only got to use it to cut down trees like, twice!” Magnus says. “Anyway, we're already here.”

Even this early, there's a nice family running around on the grass, and one of the kids is in a tree, their tail wrapped around a branch and it looks kind of dangerous but also like a lot of fun. How long has it been since Magnus climbed a tree?

There's not really that many sturdy-looking trees that would give him good wood for a carving, anyway. “Although, I guess we could always wait til later,” Magnus concedes. “Do you wanna climb a tree?”

“I'm – I'm not really good at – ”

Magnus grabs Angus (he yelps) and climbs a tree. It's kind of difficult, but after the first thirty seconds Angus goes limp and stop wiggling, and Magnus manages to seat them both on one of the lower branches.

They've got a good look a quiet, placid lake, and there are mallards in the lake!

“Didja know that many species of ducks can't fly when they're moulting?”

“No, I didn't, sir! Next time, could you maybe not lift me up bodily without asking first?”

“Yeah, sure, sorry,” Magnus says, genuinely contrite. He forgets, sometimes, that the people he loves don't always want to be touched when he's excited.

“It's okay. I _do_ like being in this tree.”

They watch the ducks, and it's peaceful and nice and Magnus is really, really content. After about two minutes, Angus produces a book from some inner pocket and leans against Magnus. Magnus puts an arm around him and tugs him closer.

Eventually his butt gets sore, and Angus is starting to fidget too. “Do you wanna get lunch?” Magnus says.

“Yeah! Umm, could you help me get out of the tree?”

“Of course!”

\---

They end up in a little sandwich shop that's right next to the park, and Angus only scrapes his knee a _little_ on the way out of the tree. Angus orders a grilled cheese, and Magnus orders a meatball sub, and the woman tries to give the sandwiches to them for free for saving the world, except Magnus slips the money into her pocket anyway because he doesn't need a free sandwich and also because her uniform has several patches and several more frayed spots. On the way out, he fixes a rickety chair.

“Okay, I guess we won't cut down a tree in the park. Do you know which direction the forest is, Ango?” Magnus says.

“Uh, I think it's… that way? Are you sure this is a good idea, sir? I'm certain I could locate a wood shop if you just gave me a minute to ask around.”

“No, no, it's okay, this'll be fun! C'mon, let's go.”

\---

“Magnus, Angus, where the fuck are you? Carey and I are _not_ a storage business and it's almost 3pm and your shit is still stacked in our living room. You left at _ten_. What is going _on._ ”

“Uh,” says Magnus. “We kind of. Got lost. I thought that if we just walked in one direction long enough, we would _probably_ find a tree I could cut down to make a thing for Lucretia? But the streets are all weird and curvy here and Angus knows how to navigate by the stars, but it's not night, and, uh, I maybe got distracted, once or twice?”

“Magnus. That is the worst godsdamned plan I have _ever_ heard, and I've known you and Merle and Taako for more than a year. Listen, if you really want wood, why don't you just buy some? Y'know, from a _shop_?”

“That's what Angus said! And my response remains the same: I have an axe that's _made for choppin'_ and it's specialler if you do it yourself!”

Killian sighs. “Okay. Okay. Magnus? Get a fucking fantasy taxi, alright? Tell them you wanna go to the Turtle Woods, you should be fine to cut something down there and it's relatively close. And when you're done bring Angus back ASAP and you can come back too but only one more night I _swear to Pan_.”

“Got it. Thanks, Killian!”

She scoffs, disgusted, but he can hear Carey laughing in the background and Magnus thinks everything is probably alright. He untunes, and calls a fantasy taxi.

\---

After Magnus (and Angus, after Magnus insisted that he wouldn't sign unless Angus did, too, because Angus is _at least_ twice as cool as him) sign the fantasy cab driver's fantasy planner, they set off into the woods.

“Uh, sir? Shouldn't we be following the... path?”

“Naaaah, paths are for suckers, Ango!” Magnus said. “Besides, I'm looking for something.”

“If you say so, sir,” Angus says. He looks a little tired. Fuck, he's so smart that Magnus forgets that he's, like, ten.

“Uh, do you want like – a piggy back ride, or anything? It's no trouble, I'm _super_ strong,” Magnus says.

“No, I'll be okay, but – we should stick to the path. I don't want to call Killian and Carey again and force them to look for us, on the, on the off chance that we get lost again.” Angus says.

“Yeah, okay.” Magnus says. “I could call a taxi and get them to take you home if you're tired, Ango.”

Angus immediately shakes his head. “No! C'mon, let's just – let's just find what you're looking for, and then we can go home. What _are_ you looking for, sir?” he asks.

“I'm not sure exactly, but I think – maybe mahogany? It's really good for carving, and it's a pretty color. Should grow in Neverwinter, too, since it's warmer here than in a lot of Faerun. On my home plane, it was – it was a lot warmer everywhere.”

“Really, sir? That's fascinating! I-I think Taako's mentioned there were two suns, right?”

“Yeah. Ilan and Jua. No moons, though,” he says.

Angus laughs. “That's so weird! I wonder what made Madame Director want to make a moon, then?”

“You're right, it is weird!” Magnus says, smiling. “I'm not sure, really.” And then it's harder to keep smiling, because he remembers again that he knows hardly anything about the Director, when once he knew her better than anyone else ever.

They've been walking for a few minutes, now, and he lets the quiet woods swallow up the end of the conversation. It's peaceful, walking like this, although he keeps having to slow his pace to make sure he doesn't leave Angus behind. Eventually Magnus resorts to walking behind him.

Finally they come to a gap in the trees, and he sees it. It's a mature mahogany, really big, but old – Magnus is no Merle, but he has been dealing with wood for more than fifty years, and he can tell that it's about as tall as it's gonna get. He goes up to it and touches the bark. It's perfect.

“Okay, Angus? I want you to stand over there, behind me, okay? I'm gonna chop this so it falls that way – ” he gestures towards the small meadow, “ – but just to make sure no wood chips hit ya, or anything, stand back a few dozen feet.”

“Okay, sir!” Angus says, peering at the tree.

Railsplitter cuts it down easy, and it falls right where he meant it to go. Magnus cuts two logs from the base of the tree (slightly harder, but overall, not too bad, although he'll probably have to sharpen Railsplitter after this). It feels weird to leave the rest of the beautiful mahogany, but eh, in terms of things he's done in his life, Magnus isn't gonna lose too much sleep over a tree.

It's kind of hard to get another taxi for the way back with a whole-ass log of wood, but they get back to the apartment eventually, and Killian and Carey have ordered pizza, and he whittles onto a sheet while they laugh and tell stories.

Magnus tells Killian about the mallards that they saw, and she asks a lot of really good questions.

It's a good day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The names "Ilan" and "Jua" for the suns were brainstormed by constanted. They are from the Xhosa and Swahili words for 'sun'. Duck facts from wikipedia. The one word of Orcish (dear) is entirely fabricated.

**Author's Note:**

> hhh what a ride longest thing i've written in a very long time. Next part should be up... sometime? Listen I don't do well with deadlines
> 
> please come bug me on tumblr @https://windywords123.tumblr.com/! I am so ready to talk about this AU and about your AU ideas and everything about TAZ!
> 
> The very excellent bird symbolism in this chapter and further chapters is from constanted, particularly their work  
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/16224797. Go read it! It's really good!


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